Aussies name champs for aquatic events

Leisel Jones, winner of two gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will lead Australia's 52-member swim team to the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

Leisel Jones, winner of two gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will lead Australia's 52-member swim team to the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

Swimming Australia had earlier announced a 45-member squad for the Oct 3-14 Games but have added seven more to the final list after the country's good show at the recent Pan Pacs event in California.Melissa Gorman, Grace Loh, James Magnussen, Kenrick Monk, Mitchell Patterson, Kyle Richardson and Tessa Wallace are the new faces that will take the flight to India.

Emily Seebohm, who performed brilliantly in the recently concluded US event, will spearhead their campaign in the absence of three-time Olympic medallist Stephanie Rice, who has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games.

Seebohm, 18, won six medals including two golds at the event and emerged as the new queen of the pool. She also defeated world record holder Ariana Kukors of the US in the 200m individual medley final.

However, the absence of Rice is bound to have an impact on the overall performance of the team.

Leigh Nugent, head coach of Swimming Australia, however, said that the team has shaped up well for the big event.

"Australia has a fantastic tradition at the Commonwealth Games and with the swimming team getting the chance to compete at the start of the Games, we know we have a responsibility to start well,” said Nugent.

“This is a strong team and a team that is looking forward to competing well in Delhi."

Other than Seebohm, the team boasts of former world record holder Eamon Sullivan. The team will undergo a training camp at Kuala Lumpur Sep 25-30 before flying out to Delhi.

The six-day swimming competitions of the Games start Oct 4 at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Complex.